The Vancouver Canucks (2–5–0) begin the second-half of their six-game road trip when they face the New York Islanders (2–3–0) tonight. Both teams will enter today’s game after suffering losses on the weekend. Vancouver comes into today’s game after suffering a 6–2 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday, while the Islanders’ last matchup saw them lose 5–3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
One of the biggest storylines following the Canucks throughout their road trip thus far has been their goaltending. From back-to-back performances from Kevin Lankinen resulting in six goals-against, to wacky equipment issues for Leevi Meriläinen, Vancouver’s goaltenders have taken center stage since they made it out east.
Things have been especially difficult for Lankinen, who is currently sporting a 6.88 GAA and .786 SV% through the start of the season. While the goaltender has been given relatively difficult matchups in relation to Vancouver’s schedule (such as starts against the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes), Lankinen’s numbers have been worrisome so far through 2026–27. The fact that the Canucks have looked very much like a team still figuring things out defensively doesn’t help.
It’ll be interesting to see who Vancouver opts to start heading into Tuesday’s matchup, though considering the fact that Lankinen technically hasn’t gotten a full game off since October 3 (as he played in five minutes of Saturday’s 4–1 loss to the New Jersey Devils), it’d make sense for Meriläinen to step in against the Islanders.
Players To Watch:
Jonathan Lekkerimäki
One player who has quietly impressed in Vancouver’s first games of the 2026–27 season is Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The forward has spent the majority of the early season on a line with Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, with the trio doing a consistently fair job of generating offence for their team. His two goals and three assists are currently tied for third on Vancouver in points.
Bo Horvat
Former Canucks always seem to do well against their ex-team, and Bo Horvat is no exception. Since being traded to the Islanders in January of 2023, Horvat has averaged a point-per-game pace against Vancouver through five matchups. He enters today’s game riding a five-game point streak to start the 2026–27 season, with four of these points being goals.
Dec 19, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a pad save against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (2–5–0):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 2–6–8
Paul Cotter: 4–2–6
Jake DeBrusk: 3–2–5
Jonathan Lekkerimäki: 2–3–5
Linus Karlsson: 1–4–5
Goaltenders:
Kevin Lankinen: 1–5–0
Leevi Meriläinen: 1–0–0
New York Islanders (2–3–0):
Points:
Bo Horvat: 4–2–6
Brayden Schenn: 2–3–5
Logan Stanley: 0–4–4
Matthew Schaefer: 0–4–4
Jean-Gabriel Pageau: 1–2–3
Goaltenders:
Ilya Sorokin: 2–2–0
Semyon Varlamov: 0–1–0
Game Information:
Start time: 4:45 pm PT
Venue: UBS Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: KiSS West Coast
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Rieger Lorenz isn’t wasting any time making his presence felt with the Minnesota Wild.
Just two games into his NHL career, the 22-year-old forward has already displayed the qualities that helped earn him his first opportunity at the highest level.
Speed, physicality, relentless forechecking and a willingness to stand up for himself have all been evident in Lorenz’s first two appearances.
During Monday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Grand Casino Arena, Lorenz continued to make an impression, contributing to Minnesota’s third goal and dropping the gloves for his first NHL fight.
For Wild head coach John Hynes, those contributions are exactly what the organization hoped to see from the young forward.
“A lot of speed and a high competitiveness factor on the forecheck,” Hynes said. “I think, I don’t know if you saw it or not, but even I think his first shift in Florida was a forecheck, and he got a point-blank slot shot right there.”
“He’s hard on the puck and very competitive. Seems like he’s responsible and understands how to play without the puck.”
Lorenz’s impact was particularly noticeable on Minnesota’s third goal against Vegas.
After the Golden Knights failed to secure a loose puck, Lorenz used his speed and aggressive forechecking instincts to pressure the play, helping create an opportunity that Bobby Brink capitalized on.
It was the type of sequence that illustrated why Lorenz has been able to make an immediate impression despite having limited NHL experience.
“I felt a little bit jittery in the first two shifts there,” Lorenz said. “So I think, you know, when that loose puck’s there, that’s my job as a forechecker, to go get it. And I was lucky that Bobby made an unbelievable play.”
That ability to create opportunities through pressure is something Hynes has already identified as one of Lorenz’s biggest strengths.
“When you see him, what he brings is, he’s a hard guy, very competitive and hard on the puck,” Hynes said. “But his speed has certainly been a factor as well.”
However, Lorenz’s offensive contributions weren’t the only thing that caught attention Monday.
The young forward also found himself involved in his first NHL fight, showing that he isn’t intimidated by the physical demands of the league.
Lorenz explained that the altercation began after he finished a check and was confronted by his opponent.
“I was trying to do my job. I kind of finished my check up there, and he kind of grabbed me,” Lorenz said. “And I’m always willing to go.”
When asked whether his opponent had initiated the fight, Lorenz made it clear that he wasn’t going to back down.
“I think also, watch the video. I think he kind of dropped his gloves, and then, like I said, I’m not going to shy away from it.”
That willingness to compete physically is something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.
Michael McCarron, who knows a thing or two about the physical side of hockey, praised Lorenz for how he handled his first NHL fight.
“Yeah, it was good,” McCarron said. “Lauzon is no weak opponent for your first fight. That’s a big boy. He knows what he’s doing.”
“I thought Rieger did a great job. He stood in there and he’s willing to stand up for himself. He did a great job.”
Beyond the physicality, Lorenz is also making an impression with his maturity.
Following the victory, Lorenz had the opportunity to recognize one of his teammates by presenting McCarron with the team’s postgame helmet.
Rather than focusing on Hughes' two points or Wallstedt's night, Lorenz highlighted the work McCarron had done throughout the game.
“He had some huge blocks. He was a dog in the faceoff dot and also on the forecheck,” Lorenz said. “He had some awesome forechecks for our team.”
“And when we had the momentum against us, I think he went out there and did a solid job to turn it back in our favor.”
For Hynes, that decision offered another glimpse into Lorenz’s character.
“New guy in the organization, but just really good head on his shoulders, sharp kid,” Hynes said. “I think a little bit wise beyond his years. He seems like the kind of guy that just gets it. Whether it’s hockey or a little bit of life or a situation, he seems like he’s on top of things.”
Monday’s game also carried additional significance for Lorenz.
The former University of Denver forward is no stranger to Grand Casino Arena, having previously played in the building during his collegiate career.
Now, he’s experiencing those moments on an entirely different stage.
“It’s pretty cool,” Lorenz said. “It seems like all the biggest moments of my hockey career have happened in this arena. So it’s pretty nice to kind of keep on that train.”
“Obviously, we’re so well supported here in Minnesota, and it’s just a pleasure playing in front of these fans.”
For a player just beginning his NHL career, Lorenz has already provided plenty of reasons for the Wild coaching staff to take notice.
His speed has created pressure, his physicality has added another dimension to Minnesota’s bottom six, and his maturity has impressed both teammates and coaches.
Two games certainly aren’t enough to determine what Lorenz’s long-term role with the Wild will look like. But if his first two NHL appearances are any indication, the young forward understands exactly what he needs to do to stick around.
And he isn’t going to shy away from doing it.
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The puck stops here! Or it needs to if the Phoenix Suns want to have a shot at winning a playoff series this season. The here that I’m talking about is the glass.
After an unexpected first-round playoff appearance, the Suns are back, hoping to improve upon last season, one that established a culture and new direction for the organization after the short-lived Kevin Durant era. It was a season that greatly exceeded national and local expectations, yet fizzled when the competition ratcheted up in the postseason.
In that final stretch run, the Suns’ stalwart seven-footer and leading rebounder Mark Williams finally succumbed to the injury bug, as has far too often been his fate over the course of his career, leaving a second year Oso Ighodaro, a sprinkling of Khaman Malauch and a whole lot of small ball to replace his vacated minutes.
During this Mark-less stretch, the Suns struggled to compete on the glass. Larger teams had their way with the Suns, including a disappointing Houston team that swept the Suns in the regular season series. Houston will be back, and bigger, with the return of Steven Adams, and they won’t be the only team in the West with a clear size advantage over the Suns. From Wemby to Kessler Walker, from Gobert to the double big lineup in OKC, the Suns are going to need to figure out how to close out defensive possessions with a rebound if they want to be the team they envision.
The Suns expect to be a team that gets out in transition, a team that relies on downhill rim pressure and foul shots (uh-oh) rather than the great equalizer that is the three-ball. They can no longer afford to get worked on the glass and expect to win, especially in the playoffs where giving up an offensive rebound in the closing possessions is enough to end games. The problem of size has limited the Phoenix Suns’ championship potential for years, long before the arrival of Ishbia, Gregory and Ott.
One of the all-time great fictional teams, the Mighty Ducks, found themselves in a similar situation as this year’s Phoenix Suns. Returning off a Cinderella season with new, more challenging goals, the Ducks were quickly derailed by the size and physicality of the brutal Icelandic Junior National team. In the end, they overcame their limitations. Not through the individual efforts of any one player but through the collective efforts of a team and their coach.
The Phoenix Suns must take a similar approach to solving their rebounding woes, or watch the goals we set for them this offseason sink into the cold Icelandic sea.
Just like Gordan Bombay, the mastermind behind the Triple Deke and Flying “V” formation in D2, Jordan Ott returns to the Phoenix Suns for his second go-around as an NBA head coach with a number of puzzles that still need to be solved.
How do they optimize the scoring talents of Devin Booker and Jalen Green with a roster that requires at least one of them to facilitate? How does Ott incorporate the new talent that’s been added to the roster into an established culture while allowing the team space to morph into something new? How does he adjust the offense to account for likely inconsistent three-point production from his starting five? All of these are important questions, but to me the issue that really limits the potential of what the Suns can be, a top-ten defense that causes havoc plays to generate transition opportunities, is finding a way to be a better defensive rebounding team. Mark Williams is once again out of the lineup, so Jordan Ott will have to get creative in order to cover up the defensive rebounding deficiencies of his young, promising centers, neither of which appears ready to replace Mark Williams’ rebounding production.
Ott will need to prioritize defensive rebounding as he tinkers with lineups in order to find the most effective rotations, specifically in who he pairs with Oso and Malauch as they grow into their roles.
Oso might need to be paired up with length so lineups that feature Dillon Brooks at the four might be better suited for a different center, whereas a pairing player like Ryan Dunn with Obo might be a better fit. Malauch provides length but still lacks the strength and processing speed to get into and hold position, so he needs to be paired with strength, like Miles Bridges or rebounding guards who can get to balls that are out of his reach, such as Collin or Goodie.
It will certainly take some experimenting in the beginning of the season, but it can’t be pushed aside if the Suns want to earn a playoff seed that gives them a chance to advance. Luckily, like the Mighty Ducks in the Junior Goodwill Games, the Suns have added some pieces for Ott to add to the mix. The first will open up a level of physicality the Suns haven’t tapped into since the early nineties.
When Team USA needed to beef up, they went to the streets of Chicago to find Dean Portman to play next to Fulton Reed. The two came together to form the Bash Brothers, the unruly, frequently penalized, enforcers of the Mighty Ducks.
The Suns added Miles Bridges, and in doing so, they are able to play Dillon Brooks at the three, which seems a better fit for his stature. Beyond their physical attributes, both players play with an edge and aggressiveness that lends itself to success on the boards. Can Dillon and Miles come together as veterans and leaders on this team to not only provide that grit and intention through their play on the court but permeate it through the locker room to the Suns’ young forwards? A player like Ryan Dunn, who was one of the better defensive rebounders on the team last year and who’s looking to carve out a role on this team, could stand to benefit substantially from the Bash Brothers mindset. Now that Mark Williams is sidelined, the Suns will need all the help they can get.
Yet the Bash Brothers aren’t the only direction Ott can turn to fortify his front court. He has at his disposal a unique weapon in the war of the boards. The Mighty Ducks found an edge when they discovered Tyler Russ and his Knuckle Puck. The Phoenix Suns have Jordan Goodwin.
Now that Russel Westbrook has aged out of relevance in the NBA, there really is no other player in the league like Jordan Goodwin. He’s physical, crafty, and determined, finding any opening to sneak into places a 6’3” journeyman should never tread and snatch a basketball out of the hands of an unsuspecting opponent. As Khaman works to find his flow, having a guard like Jordan Goodwin, or to a lesser extent Collin Gillespie, to swoop in on balls that bounce away from the young seven-footer could cover up some of his deficiencies in positioning as he develops his processing speed.
While so much of Goodie’s success is tied to rebounding on the offensive end, could Goodie expand his impact on the defensive glass in order to shore up the front court when the starters go to the bench, ensuring that defensive stops don’t turn into open threes and easy buckets?
Goodie is Goodie; rain, sleet, or snow. He’s put in years of work to get there, but for Oso and Khaman that’s just not the case.
The toughest call for Gordon Bombay in the Goodwill Games ended up being the move that won the tournament. Replacing his veteran goalie, Golberg, while he was on a heater, with a talented goalie from Maine, Julie “the Cat” Gaffney.
In the biggest moment, a shootout, against the Icelandic team’s best scorer, Bombay made the move to insert the Cat because of the shooter’s vain tendency to go glove side. While Goldberg was a player Bombay had leaned on through both movies, the Cat was known for her quick glove. Situationally changing goalies made sense.
Oso earned Ott’s trust over the course of last season. Ott knows he can depend on Oso to be where he needs to be and loves the defensive upside of his switchability. Yet situationally there are matchups where it will make sense to start and skew the minutes towards Malauch.
Flat out, Oso is not big enough to hold up against the league’s strongest centers. You can not win a playoff game against the Nuggets with Oso matching up against Jokic. Ott needs to be flexible and willing to play through the mistakes that come with starting a young center. Losses that may come in the beginning of the year will turn to valuable experience that will be paid forward in the back half of the season.
On the flip side, it may not make sense to play Malauch against teams that are going to bomb threes that lead to a lot of long rebounds. The Suns are blessed with diversity at the center position. Ott should lean into that.
I personally would like to see some double big lineups, where Oso is setting screens on offense and Khaman is on the three-point line stretching the floor, and defensively Khaman is taking the center and anchoring the defense, and Oso is guarding the four. I’m not going to stick Oso out there to guard MPJ or some of the more athletic fours in the league, but if Houston wants to run out Adams and Sengun, Phoenix might have an answer in KhOso.
None of these answers even need to be permanent. They just need to hold things together until they get Mark Williams back. Mark, like Adam Banks on the Mighty Ducks, is a known commodity, and if the Suns don’t fall apart before he returns, having him fresh for the back half of the season and hopefully available for the playoffs could make his injury a blessing in disguise.
Plenty of questions still remain, and their answers will only be revealed on the court, but one thing I know for certain is that if the Suns can’t improve their rebounding, they won’t be winning a playoff series. Not in this Western Conference. Not without the three-point shot. The Suns are going in the direction of the rest of the NBA in emphasizing it, but do they have the pieces to do so successfully? Ott will certainly have more to work with than in his inaugural season, but there’s a lot of ground to make up. There’s no one player that can fix this, and just like the Mighty Ducks, the Suns must learn to fly together.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 12: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with Chase DeLauter #24 at home plate after each scored a run on a hit by Nathaniel Lowe (not pictured) in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game one of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 12, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While it still hurts that the Yankees aren’t out there playing, you better soak the rest of the playoffs in. We only have, at most, three more days with more than one game, and we’re only guaranteed one more. Before you know it, we have only the World Series and then the long, cold winter and offseason.
However, there’s still some baseball left to go, and it’s important baseball at that. Let’s check in on how the action played out on Monday night.
National League Championship Series Game 2
Milwaukee Brewers 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 4 (Brewers lead series 2-0)
William Contreras had three hits and drove in three runs, leading the Brewers to a win and a two-game lead over the reigning two-time champs.
Through much of the game, the teams kept trading runs and the lead back and forth. The Dodgers held 1-0 and 4-3 leads, while the Brewers took a 3-2 edge at one point. In the bottom of the fifth, Contreras struck with a game-tying home run and Milwaukee took control of the game after that.
An inning after his homer, Contreras hit a go-ahead single. Brice Turang and Jake Bauers got in on the action in the ninth, each recording RBI hits to help Milwaukee put the game away.
A large part of the reason they were able to do that is that the Brewers’ bullpen completely shutdown the Dodgers. After putting up four runs in four innings off starter Logan Henderson, LA not only didn’t score against Milwaukee’s bullpen, they didn’t manage a baserunner over the final five innings.
Another key for Milwaukee was that they knocked out Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto after just 2.2 innings. After dominating last postseason, Yamamoto had to leave this game early after laboring for 75 pitches in less than three frames. Bauers did some damage, drawing a walk after 12 pitches, immediately before a big hit by Christian Yelich.
Cleveland Guardians 7, Tampa Bay Rays 3 (Guardians lead series 1-0)
The Guardians proved that it is possible to record more than one hit off Drew Rasmussen, as they drew first blood in the ALCS with a win on the road in the Trop.
The Rays got out to a very quick start. Junior Caminero and Johnny DeLuca each recorded RBI singles in the first inning, as Tampa Bay started with a 2-0 lead. However, those would be their last runs for quite a while, as Cleveland worked their way back into the game.
Rasmussen continued his run of shutout innings from the ALDS, but the Guardians eventually broke through. In the sixth, Chase DeLauter got him for a homer to get Cleveland on the board. An inning later, Patrick Bailey led off the frame with another home run, also knocking Rasmussen out of the game.
After slugging out their first two runs, the Guardians eventually got the lead thanks to their customary “Guardsball.” After José Ramírez got the eighth inning started with a single, DeLauter came up with a big double to set things up. Nathaniel Lowe then popped in a single to score both runners and give Cleveland their first lead of the day.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cedric Mullins led off with a home run to get one of those runs back. However, the Guardians only added to their lead further in the ninth. Ramírez and Jo Adell each came up with RBI hits as Cleveland put up three runs to take a commanding lead. The bottom of the ninth then took just seven pitches as the Guardians closed out the win.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Starting pitcher Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies talks with catcher Hunter Goodman #15 during the second inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
The MLB offseason is all about trade rumors in a typical year, but with a looming lockout and an anticipated busy November, chatter is picking up.
And the Colorado Rockie getting attention is catcher Hunter Goodman. (Hey, 41 home runs and three years of team control have that effect.) Remember all that speculation we did prior to the trade deadline? Let’s get ready to do it all again.
There were questions as to whether the Rockies should have made that move last summer, but given that Goodman’s trade value has only increased, Paul DePodesta’s decision to wait seems like a savvy move. But get ready for the speculation to increase.
November should be a busy (and interesting) month.
In today’s Rockpile, look for an interview I conducted with Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer 10 days ago.
In the meantime, here’s what’s happening today.
Rockies news & links
New York Yankees must trade for 41-HR superstar catcher amid rumors | Heavy Sports — In the wake of the Yankees disappointing postseason performance, Michael DeRosa argues, they need to make changes, and one of them should be acquiring Hunter Goodman. Hey, TJ Rumfield worked out pretty well. What are you offering, Brian Cashman?
Ranking the top 25 MLB trade chips for 2026-27 offseason | Bleacher Report — Goodman comes in at #5. “After a fourth straight 100-loss season, nothing should be off the table as the Rockies explore ways to improve,” Joel Reuter writes. “The asking price will be high given his remaining control, but he might be the most impactful power bat on the market.“
I’m going to start dropping in an occasional podcast given the contracted Rockies coverage we’re seeing. So here are Ryan Spilborghs and Troy Renck discussing the playoffs as recent negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA.
YAY! Cleveland made the ALCS and won Game 1! Go Cleveland!
(This is SO HARD to say, but) YAY! The Brewers won! They beat the Dodgers twice, the Evil Empire, Part II!
GO Brewers! (ouch)
There’s an article below that describes a major change to baseball that is being tested in the AFL — Forcing outfielders to lineup in a particular spot prior to each pitch. This is to promote more extra-base hits. AWESOME!
Why not just eliminate singles — make every hit to the outfield an automatic double!Just think, PCA can set the MLB doubles and triples records by August!
This is stupid. Way back when, when infielders extremely overloaded the hitter’s power side — that was hurting baseball as nearly every ball hit in that direction was an automatic out. It was damaging the game.
Much differently, outfielders cover a much larger area and make adjustments by more that whether the hitters are dominant to one field. For each individual hitter, scouting and spray charts determine if the outfielder needs to move more to the power side, or less. If they need to move deeper, or shallower. It is detailed, studied analysis, not a “Here’s a LH batter — everybody move to the second base side.”
Instead, MLB wants to put a ball and chain on outfielders. Which is surprising, because while I disagree, a large number of people think that snaring a home run over an eight-foot fence is the most exciting play in baseball. If it was a 10-foot fence, sure, that would be really impressive. (I almost went into a diatribe of what I think are more exciting plays, but I digress).
Why not control outfielders like you do video games? Have a coach with a joystick control how effective an outfielder’s play is. (I better be careful — someone may be watching).
Bottom line — the extreme infield shift hurt baseball. Constricting outfielders to certain spots of the field is fixing something that doesn’t need fixing. We have way too many ERAs that are at or above 5.00 already. Is this a “fix” to dominant pitchers like the Miz — while he’s striking out 14 a game, allow almost every ball hit to the outfield will fall for a hit. That would improve baseball!
Bullhockeypucks! Looks like I’ll head out to a AFL game soon (I was going to, anyway). Read the story — more interesting points than I have room to write about. 🙂
I appreciate your reading.
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The Change MLB is Considering That Would Damage Baseball:
Granville Henry “Stick” McGhee (March 23, 1918 – August 15, 1961) was an American jump blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his blues song “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee“. McGhee grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. He received his nickname when he was a child. He used a stick to push a wagon carrying his older brother Brownie McGhee, who had contracted polio. Granville began playing the guitar when he was thirteen years old. After his freshman year he dropped out of high school and worked with his father at the Eastman Kodak subsidiary. In 1940, Granville quit his job and moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, and then to New York City. He entered the military in 1942, and when he was discharged in 1946, he settled in New York.
In the military, McGhee often played his guitar. One of the songs he performed was “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee”, one of the earliest prototypical rock-and-roll songs. Cover versions were recorded by Wynonie Harris, Lionel Hampton, Big John Greer, Johnny Burnette, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Mike Bloomfield‘s Electric Flag. McGhee continued to make records for Atlantic and created popular songs, but his music career overall was not successful. He recorded a number of rock-and-roll songs, such a “Whiskey, Women and Loaded Dice”, “Head Happy with Wine”, and “Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter”. However, he was unable to make money from his records. He retired from the music industry in 1960.[5] He became ill shortly afterward and died in August 1961 of lung cancer.
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PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Michael Forret #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Mets at Clover Park on March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Michael Forret isn’t just a pitching prospect. He’s also a potentially fascinating science experiment.
You’ve heard of Rays Pitching Magic, right? The Tampa Bay organization, currently battling for the American League pennant, has a reputation for sprinkling metaphorical pixie dust on their pitchers to suddenly transform them into unhittable behemoths. The Rays have worked their magic both on journeyman major leaguers — witness Bryan Baker morphing from an unreliable middle reliever into the best closer in baseball — and also on prospects, refining flawed youngsters into MLB-quality hurlers.
So that brings up a question. What happens when the Rays get hold of a new prospect from another organization, bolster him with their sorcery for a few months, and then send him back from whence he came? Can their pitching magic hold strong once the player returns to his original organization, or will he inevitably backslide without the Rays’ instructors to help him?
Michael Forret is the case study for that very scenario. The 22-year-old Oriole-turned-Ray-turned-Oriole-again spent just under eight months soaking up Tampa Bay’s wisdom and know-how. Now he’ll hope to bring what he learned back to the Birds, with an eye on potentially making his major league debut next year.
Forret (pronounced for-ETT) has become a sought-after prospect since his humble pro beginnings as the Orioles’ 14th round draft pick in 2023. The North Carolina native was a junior college pick from State College of Florida, a school whose most successful MLB player in history was — and you’re not going to like this — Glenn Davis (19.7 WAR).
Almost immediately in the O’s minors, Forret showed the kind of success that belied his late-round draft status. In 2024, he posted a 3.88 ERA and 11.2 K/9 for Low-A Delmarva and then-High-A Aberdeen, flashing increased velocity from his junior college days. But it was 2025 when he really broke onto the scene. At age 21, Forret dominated High-A to the tune of a 1.51 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) with a sparkling 11.5 K/9 and 0.804 WHIP. He slashed his walk rate dramatically from the previous year, from 4.0 BB/9 to 2.6. He earned a promotion to Double-A Chesapeake and made three excellent starts there as well.
Forret’s 2025 dominance saw him rocket up the Orioles’ prospect chart. He rose to #11 in MLB Pipeline’s O’s prospect rankings, one of the organization’s highest-regarded young pitchers. A year later, he’s #10. “He’s not your typical overpowering starter,” Pipeline writes. “The 6-foot-3 right-hander beats hitters with deception, a deep arsenal and command. There’s some crossfire action in his delivery, making him tough on right-handed hitters.”
The Rays are among the teams who took notice of Forret. And when the Orioles were looking to strike a deal last winter for cost-controlled starter Shane Baz, they ultimately agreed to include Forret as part of the five-player return package on Dec. 19. And so began the youngster’s journey with the developmental wizards in Tampa Bay.
Forret hit the ground running with the Rays, dominating with Double-A Montgomery. In 10 starts with the Biscuits, he was 6-0 with a 2.15 ERA, 1.049 WHIP, and 9.3 K/9. Even with a fastball that averages only 92 mph, Forret continued to demonstrate quality command and deception to get batters out. Writes FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen: “He attacks righties around their hands with the fastball and then dots sliders on the black away from them, while he jams lefties around theirs with cutters and sliders, and then forces them to choose between covering elevated fastballs or his sinking cambio (changeup).”
In June, Forret moved up to Triple-A for the first time, and the adjustment wasn’t exactly smooth. In two of his first three starts with Durham, he was battered for five runs. But he adapted quickly. He posted a 2.89 ERA in his next six starts, holding batters to a .645 OPS, and might have been in the Rays’ plans for a big league promotion late in the season.
And that’s when the Orioles came into the picture again.
At the trade deadline, the Rays were in the market for a setup man, and the Birds’ Tyler Wells was in their sights. The Orioles targeted a familiar face as their return piece. And voila, Michael Forret was back in the O’s organization in a one-for-one swap on Aug. 3.
“Getting the call that I was coming back to Baltimore was kind of a surreal experience,” Forret said in a MASN interview. “I obviously wasn’t expecting that, but I’m super excited to be back.”
So did Forret bring the Rays’ fairy dust back with him to the O’s organization? Well…the early returns aren’t great.
The O’s assigned Forret to Triple-A Norfolk, where he made five starts before the season ended. The results: a 6.35 ERA, 10.3 H/9, and 5.6 BB/9. Batters tagged him for an .804 OPS. Still, in such a small sample size, it’s hard to read too much into those lousy numbers. Forret had one particularly rough outing — an eight-run, 10-hit debacle against Gwinnett — but didn’t give up more than two runs in any other start.
Was Forret getting drastically different instruction from the Orioles’ coaches than he did in Tampa Bay? Not really, according to him.
“Now that I’m back, I’m seeing there’s more similarities than differences,” Forret said. “I think that a lot of what Tampa did was just pitch to your strengths, which was a very similar process to what we do over here. Be in the zone and understand the importance of getting ahead in counts, winning your 1-1 counts. [That] has become a big shift over here and they’re doing the same thing over here now, too.”
But Forret did learn at least one thing during his stint with Tampa Bay.
“I picked up a cutter with the Rays,” he said. “That’s a big pitch for the Rays organization. They want their pitchers throwing cutters. So I tried picking it up after I got traded. Starting getting the hang of it, and then in spring training finally fine-tuned it and everything. And that’s been a nice pitch for me to have this season, just to kind of bridge in between my fastballs and my sweeper [and] my changeup.”
Forret will start the 2027 season at Norfolk (assuming he’s added to the 40-man roster this offseason, and isn’t traded back to the Rays), where he’ll need to prove that his stuff will play against higher-level hitters. The 22-year-old righty has his flaws, and he might not have the highest upside of the Orioles’ stable of pitching prospects. But if the O’s need to dip into the minors for pitching help in 2027, they should make sure they don’t miss the Forret for the trees.
(Photo by Tyler McFarland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is truly no need for preseason NBA games. The season is already too long with an eternal 82-game regular season slate, followed by four more months of the most intense basketball possible for a team to run all the way to the championship. Yet, there’s still about five more preseason games for every team despite the league’s long history of stars playing themselves into shape and pacing their bodies for the eventual postseason run.
Preseason is mostly useless, but it does often allow young players to get an audition for extended minutes they otherwise wouldn’t be seeing until injuries hit in the regular season. A few younger role players have already made a strong case for themselves during the preseason. Now we wait to see if it will translate to when the games start to matter for real with opening night coming on Oct. 20. Check out our list of NBA breakout candidates for more thoughts on the league’s most promising young players.
Here’s a short list of young NBA veterans who have impressed in the preseason so far. It will be interesting to look back on this list at the end of the year and see which performances were real, and which only happened because it was preseason.
Leonard Miller, F, Chicago Bulls
Leonard Miller put together another great game for the Bulls, his been incredible this preseason.
Chris Finch never gave Leonard Miller a chance at real minutes during his first three years in Minnesota. It’s hard for any second-round pick to earn minutes on a contender, and Miller’s shaky outside shooting made him a particularly rough fit in a Wolves front court that already had spacing issues with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Minnesota didn’t hesitate to part with him to acquire Ayo Dosunmu at February’s trade deadline, and that’s when his career finally started to tick up. The Bulls gave him a shot while they were tanking down the stretch, and Miller immediately proved to be productive, well-rounded player who knows how to use his big 6’10, 220-pound frame on both ends of the floor. Miller continues to impress in the preseason as an opportunistic scorer around the basket, a menace in transition, a quality rebounder, and an improved three-point shooter. Miller knows how to extend advantages with long, coordinated strides to the rim, and he has nice touch in close. He looks far more in control than he did earlier in his career. He’s never looked better than he did Sunday night, when he dropped 26 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes against the Nuggets on ESPN. It’s fair to still be skeptical of his outside shot, but if he’s made any progress there, Miller’s ability to generation extra possessions and score efficiently should earn him minutes. The Bulls have a major glut of young power forwards after spending their last three lottery picks on Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, and Noa Essengue, but Miller is simply too good to keep off the floor this season.
Brandon Williams, G, Golden State Warriors
Warriors Brandon Williams 19 PTS (7-8 FG, 2-2 3P, 97% TS), 1 AST, 1 STL, +12 in 17 minutes vs. Kings
Williams shined for the Mavericks last season in limited minutes filling in for the injured Kyrie Irving at point guard, and the Warriors did well to identify him as a buy-low free agent target this summer. Golden State has never had a point guard with the downhill scoring juice that Williams provides, and it should make him part of Steve Kerr’s rotation as Stephen Curry’s backup when the season begins. Williams is incredibly fast with the ball in his hands, and he’s slippery enough to keep defenders off-balance on his drives to the paint. His ability to glide to the rim and finish from awkward angles will be his bread-and-butter, and it sets up some easy passing reads for him to kick out to shooters. Williams won’t have much defensive versatility, but he looks pretty good guarding in isolation against other smaller guards, and he’s always quick to loose balls. The Warriors got him for an absolute steal on the veteran’s minimum. It’s fair to question how he fits into Steve Kerr’s offense as primarily a pick-and-roll ball handler, but he gives the Warriors an element they’ve always lacked, and that alone should get him rotation minutes.
GG Jackson, F, Memphis Grizzlies
It’s wild to think Jackson is still only 21 years old with three NBA seasons already under his belt, but that’s what happens when a player reclassifies to skip his senior year of high school. Jackson has never lived up to his recruiting hype at any point since heading to college early, but he’s always had the tools to be a productive off-ball scorer. If his preseason run is any indication, he might be putting it all together. He has 43 points in 46 minutes to open preseason, showing new confidence as an outside shooter while looking like a runaway freight train in transition. Jackson has a huge body for a forward at 6’9, 210 pounds, and he uses it to play a power game on the glass and in the open floor. He’s going to help the Grizzlies get up and down around the slower Zach Edey-Cameron Boozer front court, and he looks more decisive in his dribble-pass-shoot actions. Jackson’s size should make him a factor on the glass, and he no longer looks like a liability as a floor spacer. The Grizzlies are loaded with young talent, and he could be another diamond in the rough.
Asa Newell, F, Atlanta Hawks
Asa Newell has an ability to run into easy points just by using his god given tools. He’s an excellent run-and-jump athlete for a 6’11, 224-pound forward, and he’s kept his motor high in the preseason by moving without the ball and finishing everything around the rim. Newell’s skill set might feel a little outdated in the modern game when forwards are expected to be able to handle and shoot, but Atlanta’s up-tempo system should allow him to find more opportunistic avenues to make an impact. Newell isn’t going to be a creator, but he can put the ball on the floor in small doses to set up spin moves and step-throughs around the basket. His outside shot looked okay in low volume last year, and while that hasn’t been part of his preseason success, it’s something that will continue to be vital for him going forward. He’s a pretty nimble player when he gets in close, and he’s powerful enough as a two-footed leaper that it’s going to hard to challenge him around the rim. It’s still a bit of a question on how Newell fits into this version of the Hawks, but he could have some utility as a garbage man-style player just by keeping his energy high.
Kel’el Ware, C, Milwaukee Bucks
Ware always seemed to be in Erik Spoelstra’s doghouse in Miami, but it’s possible the lessons he learned with the Heat can help him take the next step in his career after being sent to Milwaukee in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Ware’s tools have never been a question as a super bouncy big man with a 7’4+ wingspan, and he’s always produced great highlights playing above the rim on both ends. The issue for Ware has been keeping his motor consistent while executing the scheme, but the early returns look good in preseason so far for the Bucks. Ware shoots such an easy ball from three-point range and has the results to back it up with a 36.9% stroke on 5.3 attempts from three per 100 possessions for his career. He started next to Myles Turner in the front court for the Bucks’ most recent game, giving Milwaukee two 7-footers who can space the floor beyond the arc. Ware has a massive catch and block radius when he goes above the rim, and he’s going to gobble up rebounds, blocks, and dunks on his tools alone. He just needs to stay focused enough to earn head coach Taylor Jenkins’ trust. A fresh start could be exactly what Ware needs to take the next step in his career.
Henderson was a bit underwhelming in his first two seasons after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and a torn hamstring delayed his debut until February last season. When he finally returned to the lineup, Henderson looked more comfortable playing off the ball while refining his ability as a shot-creator. Portland is no longer counting on him to be a savior with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in front of him on the depth chart, but it’s going to be hard to keep him off the floor if he stays on the trajectory he’s currently hinting at during preseason. The game no longer feels too fast for Scoot: he’s more composed making reads as a passer, and he’s more confident shooting it from deep whether it’s off the dribble or on spot-ups. He gets a lot of deflections on the defensive end, and he’s good at challenging shots with his explosion off the floor. Henderson learned he wasn’t going to be able to dominate the NBA on athleticism alone, but he’s in a better spot now that his skill level has started to match his speed and strength. He’s playing for a contract next summer, and if the Blazers don’t want to pay him under Tom Dundon, another team will.
Ron Holland, G, Detroit Pistons
Holland entered a tough situation when he was drafted to a Pistons team that already had two non-shooters entrenched in the starting lineup in Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren. The outside shot has always been the biggest hole in Holland’s game, but it shouldn’t conceal everything else he does well on the basketball floor. Holland has always been a maniac in terms of his motor on both ends of the floor, and it excelled again in his preseason debut, when he amassed seven ‘stocks’ (steals and blocks) in 24 minutes. Forcing defensive takeaways allows him to get in the open floor, where his speed, leaping, and agility can all shine. Holland doesn’t need the ball to make an impact, although he’s not much of a threat away from the ball offensively in the halfcourt. It feels like he may have to move to a different team to really have a chance to stand out, but his defensive projection and transition ability continue to intrigue. It would be wonderful to see Detroit give him a real chance in different lineup configurations to see if his per-minute impact numbers could extend to a bigger role.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 12: Patrick Bailey #16 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a Home Run during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game one of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 12, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians managed to steal game one of the ALCS, meaning they just have to split the remaining six games to go to the World Series.
They can feel free to go an easier route if they want, of course.
Jake had your recap here. Just take it one day at a time, boys. Tonight at 8pm is the next game to try to win.
Zack Meisel wrote about Nathaniel Lowe and his journey after the game.
The Brewers beat the Dodgers to take a 2-0 lead in the NLCS.
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 15: Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins face-off during the third period at the United Center on February 15, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (3-2-1, 7 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ Chicago Blackhawks (1-5-0, 2 points, 8th place Central Division)
When: 8:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Local broadcast on Chicago Sports Network and Sportsnet Pittsburgh, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: This is the start of a four-game road trip, which continues this weekend with a back-to-back in Denver (Friday) and Las Vegas (Saturday) before wrapping up Monday in Salt Lake City.
Opponent Track: The Blackhawks have been outscored 26-12 during their 1-5 start to the season. The Hawks are riding a two-game losing streak into Tuesday after most recently losing 5-2 to the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.
Season Series: The Penguins won both games of this season series last year, winning 7-3 against a team missing Connor Bedard in December before claiming a 6-2 victory in January.
Hidden Stat: The Blackhawks have had one of the worst power plays in the NHL so far this season after going 1-f0r-14 on the man advantage through six games. The home team will see if that changes tonight with the potential return of Connor Bedard.
Tyler Bertuzzi – Anton Frondell – Teuvo Teravainen
Cole Smith – Ryan Greene – Jordan Greenway
Oliver Moore – Dominic Toninato – Ryan Donato
DEFENSEMEN
Bowen Byram – Artyom Levshunov
Alex Vlasic – Ian Cole
Wyatt Kaiser – Sam Rinzel
Goalies: Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom
Potential scratches: Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro, Nick Lardis
Injured Reserve: Andrew Mangiapane
Suspended: Frank Nazar
Connor Bedard could be making his season debut for the Blackhawks, and his first appearance alongside Patrick Kane on Chicago’s new top line, after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and missing the start of their campaign. He rejoined practice without a no-contact jersey Sunday, and multiple reporters indicated Monday he could be in the lineup against the Pens.
Based on Monday’s practice lineup, second-year forward Nick Lardis will be the odd man out if Bedard is able to play tonight.
Chicago head coach Jeff Blashill said Connor Bedard is trending towards being a “coach’s decision” on Tuesday vs. Pittsburgh.
He paused then laughed and said: “We’ll see how that goes.”
I think that means he’s probably playing, #Blackhawks
Bedard missed 12 games last season with a shoulder injury before returning to the lineup. He then suffered another injury in practice in early July and underwent surgery. Unlike his last return from a shoulder issue, Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said Bedard won’t have restrictions such as a ban on face-offs. Blashill also noted Bedard might need some additional time to adjust to game speed before producing, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Jeff Blashill on Connor Bedard:
“He came back last year and still had restrictions on him: no faceoffs and things like that. There’s mental hurdles involved with that. With this one being surgically repaired, it’s in a great spot.”
Rookie Roman Kantserov, who could be skating on Bedard’s wing opposite Kane tonight, scored the first goal of his NHL career on a breakaway in the Blackhawks’ Saturday loss to the Hurricanes.
Roman Kantserov has his first NHL goal, and it was a beauty! 👏
Spencer Knight is in line for another season as the Blackhawks’ top goaltender after starting 55 games last season. He’s started four of the Hawks’ six games, and he made 25 saves on 27 shots in their lone win of the season so far against the St. Louis Blues.
the dark Knight between the pipes ⚔️
on Tuesday’s game Spencer notched 25 saves for his 25th win with the Blackhawks!
IR: Ryan Graves, Justin Brazeau, Trevor van Riemsdyk
van Riemsdyk hit IR yesterday, backdated to 10/9. That means he could be eligible to return as soon as the following game on Friday night, if his health allows it. The Pens haven’t announced any call-ups from the AHL for the interim, but they do have an open roster spot and only six healthy defensemen. (A pre-emptive welcome back to the NHL roster, Ilya Solovyov?)
It looks like there’s a chance Andrei Kuzmenko draws into the lineup tonight after an extended absence from the non-roster list. Based on practice, that would mean Hendrix Lapierre and Elmer Soderblom are the odd men out, given that Koivunen also rotated back in.
Dan Muse, on Andrei Kuzmenko: "I still want to touch base with him and have conversations, but he was a full participant. He looked good. We’ll have some conversations and figure things out for tomorrow."
The Vancouver Canucks have struggled out of the gate, going 2-5-0 through their opening seven games of the Manny Malhotra era. They've been outscored 35-24 and are currently riding a four-game skid.
On the flip side, as they enter their Tuesday night matchup against the New York Islanders, they're looking to keep a different streak going.
Since UBS Arena opened its doors, the Canucks have gone 5-0-0. Not only that, but they are the only NHL franchise to not have lost in Elmont yet, with all of their wins coming in regulation:
Mar. 3, 2022: Van 4, NYI 3
Feb. 9, 2023: Van 6, NYI 5
Jan. 9, 2024: Van 5, NYI 2
Mar. 26, 2025: Van 5, NYI 2
Dec. 19, 2025: VAN 4, NYI 1
In that game on Feb. 9, Anthony Beauvillier scored the go-ahead goal, a low-slot tip in his first game back after being dealt to Vancouver as part of the package that brought the Islanders their current captain, Bo Horvat.
The Islanders have alternated losses and wins since opening night in Toronto, as they try to get back on track against the Canucks after falling 5-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
The Canucks fell 6-2 to the Rangers on Sunday.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:45 PM ET with all 32 NHL teams in action. The NHL's Frozen Frenzy begins at 6 PM ET, with games starting every 15 minutes after that.
Draymond Green always has been one to speak his mind, even about his teammates’ contract terms.
After fourth-year shooting guard Brandin Podziemski signed a five-year, $110 million extension on Oct. 10, Green congratulated his younger teammate on Tuesday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” before commenting on an interesting aspect of Podziemski’s contract.
“I will say about this deal: it has the mutual option in the fifth year, and these mutual options, it’s kind of gotten a little weird,” Green said on his podcast. “We’re starting to see them pop up more and more in the NBA. You used to see the player option or team option, but lately we’ve been seeing these mutual options, … and it is ultimately a structure to where the final year of the deal requires both the player and the team to opt in for the contract to continue.
“Now, obviously, in the other ones, either the player has the option, or the team has the option. This one, they both have to agree. And if either the team or the player declines, the the year is voided. So this is essentially a four-year deal with the mutual option for the fifth year.”
Green noted that Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein and Miami Heat guard Pelle Larson, who both signed extensions this summer, also included a mutual option in their deals.
The former Defensive Player of the Year also pondered how the second apron could potentially alter a team’s perspective.
“The second apron has affected a lot,” Green said. “I wonder if this is another instance where the second apron is essentially making a team say, ‘Hey, we want the option to be able to get out of this because what if we are up against the second apron and we need a way out? This is an opportunity for us to be able to get out, even if we need to negotiate a lower number to avoid the second apron.’ “
The second apron is a spending threshold that went into effect in the 2024-2025 offseason, and severely curtails an organization’s ability to spend on or sign players through trade and free agency restrictions that are triggered if the monetary barrier is crossed.
The Warriors currently sit in the first apron with a $205 million cap that ranks third in the NBA, according to Spotrac.
Podziemski is set to be paid $5.7 million in the 2026-27 NBA season before his salary jumps to $18.9 million in the first year of his extension.
The Boston Celtics might be the most annoying team in the NBA this season — and in the best way possible.
Picture this: You’re a team playing your fifth game in seven days in Boston. Legs are heavy, everything feels like a grind. And when you’re not getting swarmed by Boston’s gaggle of young wings like Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh, you’ve got to try to figure out how to keep Mitchell Robinson and his 7-foot, 240-pound frame from vacuuming up every available offensive rebound.
Boston’s depth and potential playstyle might be the two biggest reasons the Celtics can remain entrenched at the top of the Eastern Conference, despite beefed-up competition and the departure of Jaylen Brown.
We may very well be overreacting to an incredibly small sample of preseason basketball, but in two games so far the Celtics have showcased a readymade identity that builds off much of what made the team elite last season. Health is vital to Boston’s overall regular-season success, and there’s a lot to figure out to be able to judge how successful this team might be when the playoffs arrive.
But over the course of 82, we’re pretty bullish that Boston is going to be exactly the sort of team that opponents don’t want to see.
Let’s crunch some early numbers:
22
That’s how many deflections Boston registered against Philadelphia. For context: Boston ranked 25th in the NBA generating just 15.2 deflections per game and lagged way behind league-leading Oklahoma City, which generated 20.8 deflections per game last year.
The addition of Paul George ought to kick up both Boston’s total deflections and steal rates on its own. George produced five steals against Philadelphia and has routinely ranked among the best at his position in steal rate. And whenever George wasn’t deflecting an entry pass, it was Baylor Scheierman swatting one on his own, then hurling himself into the front row of the stands to ensure that turnover morphed into points.
With George and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics now have two of the more underrated forward defenders in the league (their offensive prowess often overshadowing their ability on the other end). Mix in All-Defense stalwart Derrick White and Boston’s three core starters set a heavy defensive tone. Regardless of how coach Joe Mazzulla elects to deploy the rest of his depth, the Celtics are going to have the ability to roll in long, active wings like Scheierman, Gonzalez, Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. to keep the defensive intensity up.
The Celtics have averaged 28.5 points off turnovers through their first two preseason games, this after ranking 25th in points off turnovers in each of the past two seasons (averaging 15.7 points off turnovers per game across those two seasons).
Boston has an opportunity with its personnel this year to take some more risks and cause more chaos on the defensive end. It’s a big reason why one of our bold preseason predictions was for Boston to lead the Eastern Conference in defensive rating this season.
44.8 percent
That is Boston’s offensive rebound rate this preseason, the best mark in the league and by more than three percent from the next closest team.
The Celtics were already one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA last season, subsisting largely on the corner crashes of its young wings combined with energetic big man play from Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. Now the team has added the league’s best offensive rebounder in Robinson.
The Celtics have a new luxury of managing the minutes of Queta and Robinson, letting them go full throttle over shorter stints as the two divide up the majority of 48 available minutes. Whatever is left over, Garza will come in and be relentless on the glass in those minutes.
What once felt like the weak spot of Boston’s roster, the center position now feels like a strength. Queta put up some of the best analytics in the NBA last season during his floor time, and Robinson is going to generate so many second-chance opportunities for a team that isn’t bashful about kicking the ball back outside and continuing to launch from the perimeter.
Consider this: Boston posted a 35-18 record (.660 winning percentage) in the games it won the shot margin last season. That’s a 54-win pace over 82 games. And Boston’s new personnel configuration gives it a chance to win the shot margin each night if the team takes care of the basketball.
18.1 percent
That is the offensive rebound rate for Boston’s opponents so far this preseason. It’s the best mark in the NBA this preseason by 5.6 percent.
Sustainable? We’ll need a bigger sample. But Boston ranked 25th last season, giving up second-chance opportunities on 33.6 percent of possessions. Even some minor strides in that category are going to help the hunt to win the margins. And Boston’s ability to finish out possessions this preseason is a big reason for its early success.
The bottom line is that Boston, with its new look, is set up to build off the “hardest-playing team” identity it embraced last season — and got accentuated in the Game 82 win over Orlando.
For a team whose North Star is winning titles, the Celtics have to figure out how to best translate that to the postseason. There is no victory in being a great regular-season team if it ends with a first-round exit.
But the first two preseason games have shown a roadmap to how Boston can stay at the top of a beefed-up Eastern Conference. The Celtics are the last team you want to see on the second night of a back-to-back. The handful of schedule losses that most teams will endure in the dog days of the NBA calendar might be the time when Boston thrives.
While we can’t know yet how rookies will adapt to professional basketball, how veterans will integrate with new teammates and how coaches will choose to employ individual players for the betterment of their teams, we can judge talent and skill.
His strength is overpowering defenders in the low block, and it’s remarkable how comfortably he gets to the rim, despite being undersized at 6-foot-6. As always, the questions with Williamson are his weight, conditioning and his availability, though in recent seasons, Williamson has made it a priority to slim down a touch. The Pelicans were in a lost season, but a career-low scoring average was nonetheless a concern.
No. 49 Rudy Gobert
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Center
Age: 34
2025-26 stats: 10.9 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg
2025 was a return to the All-Defensive First Team for Gobert, who jumped back into the top-four of Defensive Player of the Year voting after a “down” 2024 (he was still second team All-Defense). And now he has a real chance to increase his scoring output with LaMelo Ball there to create easy opportunities as the most dynamic point guard Gobert has ever played with.
No. 48 Jaren Jackson Jr.
Team: Utah Jazz
Position: Center
Age: 27
2025-26 stats: 19.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Jackson Jr. is a dynamic two-way center that can affect both sides of the ball. He can score from inside and out. He can guard the interior and the perimeter. Jackson is a two-time All-Star, two-time blocks leader and was the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. He only appeared in 48 games last season though, so expect that number to go up.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, even though he is only entering his sophomore season in the league, the Spurs internally believe Harper is already their second-best player behind Victor Wembanyama. Something that pops about Harper: He averaged 2.1 unassisted field goals at the rim per 36 minutes, via PBPStats. That ranked behind two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2.35) for the most among players who hit the 65-game threshold last season. Harper was just 19 years old until a month before the playoffs began.
No. 46 Derrick White
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Guard
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 16.5 ppg, 5.4 apg, 4.4 rpg
By all metrics, White set career-highs in points, assists, steals, and blocks, but he also shot under 40% and all but disappeared in the Celtics’ first-round playoff meltdown. His defense remains a strong part of his game, and with Jaylen Brown now in Philadelphia, he will be expected to be even more productive on offense to help Jayson Tatum.
No. 45 Trae Young
Team: Washington Wizards
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 17.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 8.0 apg
Young was limited to just 15 games total during the 2025-26 campaign — 10 with the Atlanta Hawks and five with the Wizards, who by the time Young arrived, had entered tank mode for the No. 1 pick in the draft. However, don’t sleep on Young; he’s one of the best playmakers at the point guard position. He can pass and he can score, especially from long range. Young now has a chance to reestablish himself as one of the best perimeter threats in the league alongside Anthony Davis and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa.
No. 44 De’Aaron Fox
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 18.6 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.8 rpg
There will be nights when Fox is the fourth scoring option, and if that becomes the norm, he may be prime trade bait at the deadline. The Spurs are still on the hook for his four-year, $221 million deal until further notice. Having three ball handlers on a team is a luxury, but not getting enough shots while still trying to please Victor Wembanyama is another matter.
No. 43 Lauri Markkanen
Team: Utah Jazz
Position: Forward
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 26.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 apg
Utah’s lack of competitiveness is hopefully in the past and should help one of the league’s best scoring big men. Markkanen could again put up big numbers with the talent infusion that is on its way to Utah, which has missed the playoffs in each of the past five years.
The big question last season was whether Wagner and fellow Magic co-star Paolo Banchero could co-exist. Both can handle the ball, and both can create their own offense. The difference with Wagner is that his jumper is more consistent. Wagner also flies under the radar as a defender, but he’s solid there. What new coach Sean Sweeney will want to see is availability; injuries have limited Wagner to just 94 games across the last two seasons, including just 34 last year.
No. 41 Joel Embiid
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Center
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 26.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.9 apg
Unlike some of the other injured players on this list, we saw enough of Embiid last year to know exactly how much his injuries have taken a toll on his mobility – and we also saw how effective he still was as a scorer. Expect that to continue with him apparently in better shape. The biggest knock today is his insistence to shoot so many threes despite his declining efficiency from deep.
OK, so maybe the (premature) “Baby Jokić” comparisons were inaccurate. That doesn’t change the fact that Şengün is an All-Star-caliber big man with terrific passing chops at the center of a Rockets team with expectations. The question for Şengün and Houston moving forward is simple: Is he closer to the reliable regular-season version, or the playoff dropper that helped open the door to a troubling first-round upset last spring?
No. 39 Jalen Duren
Team: Detroit Pistons
Position: Center
Age: 22
2025-26 stats: 19.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 65% FG
Duren may have overplayed his hand when he was named third-team All-NBA and demanded max dollars. While he did eventually sign for five years and $200 million, Duren’s next move is to improve his relationship with the team and his offensive game – especially in the playoffs, which is why Detroit was hesitant to pay him big bucks in the first place.
No. 38 Deni Avdija
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 24.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 6.7 apg
Avdija has increased his scoring average in each of his six NBA seasons, and he'll have three dynamic guards to play off him if he's asked not to be the offense's focal point. Another season like 2025-26, when he also posted career highs in assists and free-throw percentage, would put him in line for a big payday in 2028.
No. 37 Anthony Davis
Team: Washington Wizards
Position: Forward
Age: 33
2025-26 stats: 20.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Davis’ ability on the floor has never been a question. When he plays 60 games in a season, he’s a lock to make the All-NBA and All-Defense teams. The only problem is he’s played 60 games just twice in the last eight years. But, if we’re assuming good health, Davis is one of the league’s very best bigs and much better than this ranking.
No. 36 Evan Mobley
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 18.2 ppg, 9 rpg, 3.6 apg
Mobley, a former Defensive Player of the Year, is an enigma. He can easily dominate on any given night, but sometimes he seems overwhelmed, especially when his shooting is suspect and his rebounding is nonexistent. Mobley simply needs to elevate his Robin role to Donovan Mitchell’s Batman if the Cavs ever want to make it out of the Eastern Conference finals.
No. 35 Kyrie Irving
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Guard
Age: 34
2025-26 stats: Did not play
It’ll be interesting to see how Irving looks after a full year off, but if he’s anything close to the player he was before the ACL injury, he’ll still be one of the best guards in the game. As a former 50-40-90 guy whose year-to-year production is normally in that range, Irving has several ways he can beat a defense. Expect him to return to All-Star form.
No. 34 Paolo Banchero
Team: Orlando Magic
Position: Forward
Age: 23
2025-26 stats: 22.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.2 apg
Paolo Banchero is one of the young, bright stars of the NBA. He’s led the Magic to three consecutive postseason appearances and continues to grow in the league. His 6-foot-10 stature makes him a matchup problem for opponents. The next step in his game is getting him to buy into playing bully ball.
No. 33 LaMelo Ball
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 7.1 apg
While his identity on the court will shift after a blockbuster trade sent him from Charlotte to Minnesota, there is still plenty to celebrate about Ball. He is the only player in league history aside from Luka Dončić with at least 6,000 points 2,000 assists and 900 made 3-pointers before turning 25 years old. Pair his electric shooting and playmaking with Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves should make some noise on offense this season.
No. 32 Austin Reaves
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 23.3 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.7 rpg
Reaves’ ability to score at all three levels is an asset, and he will be expected to increase his production alongside Luka Dončić, now that LeBron James is no longer in L.A. to serve as a security blanket. Reaves just needs to stay healthy and prove that the team was right to give him a four-year, $180 million extension.
No. 31 Cooper Flagg
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Forward
Age: 19
2025-26 stats: 21.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.5 apg
Flagg came on strong to win Rookie of the Year honors last season, emerging from an early shooting funk to deliver some historic scoring performances during his first campaign in the league. His combination of size, skill and versatility naturally translated to the NBA, and he should have more space to operate with the return of Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks’ lineup. If his shooting improves in Year 2, Flagg could quickly ascend to the top of the league’s pecking order.
No. 30 Pascal Siakam
Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: Forward
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 24 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
Don’t let a gap year without Tyrese Haliburton fool you. The Pacers’ dark-horse 2025 NBA Finals run doesn’t happen without Siakam’s all-around versatility. Full stop. Indiana can basically insert Siakam into any lineup and expect to win those minutes. He is the ultimate gap-filler, a guy who almost always finds a way to make a play. Now firmly in his early 30s, pairing Siakam with a defensive big like Ivica Zubac might unlock his final form.
No. 29 Amen Thompson
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Forward
Age: 23
2025-26 stats: 18.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.3 apg
Along with his brother, Ausar, who plays for the Pistons, Amen Thompson might be the most athletic player in the entire league. He broke out last season when the Rockets deployed him as a point-forward, after starting point guard Fred VanVleet was lost to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Thompson is a two-way demon; he uses his quickness and length to lock-up his assignments, and he can slash to the cup for high-percentage looks. The only thing keeping Thompson from becoming a Top-15 player is a jumper that can be unreliable, especially from deep (21.6% last season).
No. 28 Stephon Castle
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Guard
Age: 21
2025-26 stats: 16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 7.4 apg
The 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year backed up that initial campaign by improving in nearly every statistical category during his second season, then elevated his game even further during the Spurs' run to the NBA Finals. Castle's shooting efficiency improved dramatically from his rookie year, while his playmaking and ability to lock down opposing teams' top perimeter scorers has quickly made him one of the league's most promising young guards.
There are role players, and then there are the kind of indispensable winning players who do all the little things and hard things at the same time. Anunoby is the latter. Anunoby can nail corner 3-pointers in the clutch, dive for loose balls and snatch long rebounds, and lock down the other team’s best player. He is the lovely rug that ties the room together for the reigning NBA champions.
No. 26 James Harden
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Guard
Age: 37
2025-26 stats: 23.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 8.0 apg
At his age, it’s amazing what James Harden has been able to do, especially adapting his game. We’ve seen the dynamic scorer version of Harden, and now we get more of a playmaking version of him. Is Harden still a top 30 player in the league? Yes, especially since this is a regular-season designation.
No. 25 Jalen Johnson
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Position: Forward
Age: 24
2025-26 stats: 22.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 7.9 apg
He’s more of a point-forward, and Atlanta’s decision to turn the offense over to Johnson proved to be a sound one. Though he’s versatile, Johnson is at his best when he’s leading the Hawks in transition, where he deploys his size, handles and vision to find teammates or simply get to the rim. Coach Quinn Snyder deserves a lot of credit here, as Johnson also displays excellent patience and doesn’t force many looks; he lets the game come to him.
No. 24 Scottie Barnes
Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 18.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.9 apg
Barnes emerged as a bonafide two-way force as the Raptors became one of the Eastern Conference’s biggest surprises last season. The fourth-year forward shot better than 50% from the field for the first time in his career, pairing elite defensive versatility with a more polished offensive game. He then elevated his play in his postseason debut, helping push Toronto to the brink of an upset over Cleveland in the playoffs.
No. 23 Chet Holmgren
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Forward
Age: 24
2025-26 stats: 17.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.7 apg
Holmgren’s reported two-pound offseason weight gain certainly won’t do him any favors if he doesn’t use his other skills on offense. His defense is elite, and he has the capabilities to become a 25-point-a-night scorer. With the talent he has around him, including Shai Gilgeous Alexander, the MVP of the last two seasons, Holmgren should be an All-NBA mainstay for years to come.
No. 22 Jalen Williams
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 17.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.5 apg
Injuries (wrist surgery, hamstring) robbed huge chunks of his regular season and playoffs, which massively hurt the Thunder. But he remains a two-way forward who can slash to the rim, handle the ball and lace perimeter shots when required. Now that he’s fully healthy, he should continue his production as one of the game’s bright stars – one that was instrumental in closing out the Pacers at the 2025 NBA Finals.
No. 21 Jamal Murray
Team: Denver Nuggets
Position: Guard
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 25.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 7.1 apg
Where Murray lacks high-end athleticism, he makes up for it by being arguably the craftiest offensive player in the league. The veteran has built his career on reaching into his bag of tricks. And when he’s on, Murray’s capacity for microwave scoring and shooting can be genuinely jaw-dropping. All of this context is why he fits with Nikola Jokić like a glove as his running mate.
No. 20 Bam Adebayo
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Center
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.2 apg
Adebayo coming in at No. 20 still makes him a top-five center or big-man in the NBA. Don’t let the 20.1 ppg fool you, he can fill it up with best of them – Remember, 83? The addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo should really open up Adebayo’s game and his impact will be felt tremendously.
No. 19 LeBron James
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Forward
Age: 41
2025-26 stats: 20.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 7.2 apg
There will be times throughout the season when James coasts simply due to age and the mileage on his body. But he proved in carrying the Lakers to a first-round playoff win over the Rockets, when he needs to assert himself, he can still control a game better than most thanks to the best mind in basketball.
No. 18 Tyrese Haliburton
Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: Guard
Age: 26
2025-26 stats: Did not play due to injury
The last time we saw Tyrese Haliburton play basketball, he led the Pacers to the 2025 NBA Finals, where he pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games before he devastatingly tore his right Achilles tendon. We don’t know how Haliburton will look coming off the injury – which is why he finished this low on the list – but if he returns to form as the season progresses, while running pick-and-roll with Ivica Zubac, then he can easily outperform this spot in our rankings.
No. 17 Devin Booker
Team: Phoenix Suns
Position: Guard
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 26.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.0 apg
One of the smoothest and most consistent buckets in the NBA, Booker is a three-level scorer who has taken on even more responsibility since a June 2025 trade shipped Kevin Durant to the Rockets. Booker is the face of the franchise, and his silky jumper helped elevate the Suns to a surprise playoff run last season. He may not be the most vocal, but he has also embraced a leadership role, while trying to get the Suns back to legitimate competition out West – six seasons after they reached the Finals.
No. 16 Karl-Anthony Towns
Team: New York Knicks
Position: Center
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 3.0 apg
Towns’ frustrations with his contract situation could be an interesting side note and distraction for the world-champion Knicks, but Towns’ professionalism won’t let that be the case. As long as he keeps up his stellar playoff play, with timely outside shooting and defense, the Knicks will be right back in contention.
No. 15 Jaylen Brown
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Guard/Foward
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 28.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.1 apg
Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP, has been heralded for his ability to play both sides of the ball, but his offensive output deserves more recognition after being among the top five scores in the league during the 2025-26 regular season. The scenery change to Philadelphia could shine an even bigger spotlight on him, playing alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James.
No. 14 Tyrese Maxey
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 28.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 6.6 apg
Maxey’s high-profile teammates will probably make most headlines this year, but make no mistake: The electric point guard is the straw that stirs the 76ers’ drink. An explosive first step, an elite shooting stroke and underrated passing vision make Maxey one of the Association’s most dynamic offensive players. If the new-look 76ers live up to the hype, Maxey will almost certainly drive their success.
No. 13 Donovan Mitchell
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Guard
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 27.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.7 apg
Mitchell has earned all-NBA honors in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career and inked a new $273 million contract extension this offseason that should keep him in Cleveland for the duration of his prime. Questions linger about his viability as a No. 1 option in the playoffs after the Cavaliers were swept in the Eastern Conference finals, but Mitchell remains one of the league’s most explosive perimeter scorers and playmakers.
No. 12 Kevin Durant
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Forward
Age: 38
2025-26 stats: 26.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.8 apg
For all intents and purposes, this might be Durant’s last hurrah, as he will move into fourth place on the all-time scoring list by season’s end. The 38-year-old can rely on the young core to give the Rockets hope of making a dent in the West, but Durant’s leadership and still-lethal scoring will ultimately decide Houston’s fate.
No. 11 Stephen Curry
Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: Guard
Age: 38
2025-26 stats: 26.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.7 apg
Whatever decline we’re supposed to be expecting from Curry hasn’t taken place yet. In the 43 games he was on the court last year, he was still cheffing. His 46.8 shooting percentage was his second highest in the last five years, and he still knocked down 39 percent of his threes.
No. 10 Kawhi Leonard
Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: Forward
Age: 35
2025-26 stats: 27.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.6 apg
Now free of distractions after a year-long saga following an investigation and subsequent discipline involving cap circumvention for the Los Angeles Clippers, let’s allow Leonard to reintroduce himself to us. The last time that Leonard played for the Raptors, he was crowned NBA Finals MVP for the second time in his career. Everyone knows what he can do on defense, but Leonard quietly played the second-most games in his career since 2017-18 while averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game at 34 years old.
No. 9 Jayson Tatum
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Forward
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 21.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.3 apg
Expect Tatum to return to his All-NBA, MVP-candidate form without Jaylen Brown, with one caveat: his health. Tatum was injured again at the worst possible time, as the Celtics were eliminated early in the playoffs. Expecting Paul George to match Brown’s production might be a little too much to ask.
No. 8 Cade Cunningham
Team: Detroit Pistons
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-2026 stats: 23.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 9.9 apg
Cunningham has put up gaudy numbers for years. Last year was when the young star finally came of age at the helm of a winning Pistons team. At his best, Cunningham is a big, physical and strong guard who leverages every bit of his listed 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame to punish smaller defenders while leaning on a silky-smooth jump-shooting bag. He is a metronome the Pistons can count on to deliver, and perhaps even rescue them, every single night.
No. 7 Anthony Edwards
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 28.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.7 apg
Edwards set career highs for points, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage during the 2025-26 season before a knee injury slowed him in the Timberwolves’ playoff run. The franchise is betting that the addition of LaMelo Ball will finally provide Edwards with the elite playmaking point guard he’s lacked throughout his time in Minnesota. Already one of the league's most explosive scorers, Edwards enters 2026-27 with legitimate MVP and championship expectations.
No. 6 Jalen Brunson
Team: New York Knicks
Position: Guard
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 26.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.8 apg
Everybody is better than Brunson until it’s time to be better than Brunson. There was no better example than his 45-point magnum opus in the NBA Finals. When the lights are brightest, the 2025 Clutch Player of the Year gets it done.
No. 5 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Forward
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 27.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 5.4 apg
Antetokounmpo is still a top-5 player in the NBA, and he has been for nearly the last decade becoming a 10-time All-Star, two-time league MVP, an NBA champion and Finals MVP. He’s about to remind everyone just how dominant he can be – even without a consistent jump shot – now rejuvinated and playing in South Beach.
No. 4 Luka Doncic
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Guard
Age: 27
2025-26 stats: 33.5 ppg, 8.3 apg, 7.7 rpg
Dončić has ranked among the top five in usage percentage in each of the last seven seasons, and without LeBron James, don’t expect that to change much. With the Lakers on national television 34 times this season, Dončić is expected to take Los Angeles to championship heights. It’s too bad the Lakers don’t have five Luka’s on the floor at once.
No. 3 Victor Wembanyama
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Center
Age: 22
2025-26 stats: 25.0 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.1 bpg
It was genuinely difficult not have Wembanyama at No. 1 overall, but after falling short to the Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals, it became clear that there is still more room for growth for the Defensive Player of the Year. Expect we see that this season as the MVP favorite looks to make it evident to the rest of the world that he is the best player on the planet. And with a chip on his shoulder after winning the Western Conference Finals, he can do exactly that.
No. 2 Nikola Jokic
Team: Denver Nuggets
Position: Center
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 27.7 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 10.7 apg
Though he has a legitimate claim as the top player in the world, Jokić was just edged out. Either way, he might be the best passer in all of basketball – not just among bigs. His footwork is singular, his touch around the rim makes him a nightmare to defend, and he’s just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a single season. Last year was the second-consecutive time he did it.
No. 1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 31.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.6 apg
The two-time reigning MVP had the most efficient offensive season of his career in 2025-26, and his play remained elite in the playoffs with the Thunder battling injuries. SGA is also evolving as a playmaker after setting a career high for assists last season and dishing out nearly eight per game in the postseason. He’s already a defining player of this era, but another title with OKC and a third-straight MVP trophy in 2026-27 would elevate him into the conversation with the league’s greatest players of all-time.
Before heading to Washington on Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens will host the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre. The two teams played a nail-biting second-round series last season. The Habs won on an Alex Newhook overtime goal in Game 7, but the Sabres had a 39-25 shot advantage that night and felt they should have won the series. On Tuesday night, they’ll have a chance to avenge their elimination.
In the regular season, the two teams met four times and split the series, each winning one at home and one on the road, and both scoring 13 goals. They could not have been more evenly matched. Unlike the Canadiens, though, the Sabres made many offseason changes, bidding farewell to Alex Tuch, Bowen Byram, Jordan Greenway, Logan Stanley, and Luke Schenn, to name a few. They’ve added Louis Crevier, Olen Zellweger and Dennis Gilbert. Over six games this season, they scored 16 goals and went 3-3-0, leaving them in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, they leapfrogged the Habs last night with a win over the Florida Panthers. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are 2-2-1 with five points for seventh place in the Atlantic Division and 23rd in the league, having scored 15 goals.
The Sabres are struggling in net. Alex Lyon has yet to make his season start and is day-to-day; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has one win, a 4.02 goals-against average, and a .782 save percentage; and Colten Ellis has one win, a 2.91 GAA, and an .880 SV. Meanwhile, in Montreal, Jakub Dobes also has one win with a 4.43 GAA and a .856 SV, while newly recalled Jacob Fowler is 1-1-0 with a 1.46 GAA and a .938 SV.
At Monday’s practice, the Canadiens spent a lot of time working on their anemic power play ( a single goal in 17 opportunities for a 5.9% success rate), which is currently 31st in the league, just like the Sabres’. Florian Xhekaj returned to practice but left after a few minutes, clearly still bothered by a minor ailment. St-Louis refused to confirm whether he’d run the same formation with 11 forwards and seven defensemen or to confirm which goaltender would get the first game of the back-to-back.
In the regular season, Dobes has a 3-0-0 record against the Sabres with a 2.00 GAA and .937 SV, while Fowler has lost his only start against Tuesday night’s visitors, posting a 4.13 GAA and a .846 SV. Will St-Louis give the youngster a third straight start, or will he let Dobes back between the posts? Hard to sit Fowler after he pitched a perfect game against the Detroit Red Wings. The Florida native was absolutely flawless through regulation, overtime and the shootout.
As for the Sabres, Ellis got the start on Monday against the Florida Panthers, so it makes sense for Luukkonen to start. The former has a 1-0-0 record against the Habs, surrendering three goals in a 5-3-win last season and a .870 SV, while the latter is 2-2-0 with a 3,95 GAA and a .871 SV.
Up front, captain Nick Suzuki has 26 points in 21 games against the Sabres, the same total as newcomer Chris Kreider, but the veteran has faced them 40 times to reach that total. Sniper Cole Caufield ranks third with 16 points in 18 games.
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres in points against the Habs with 23 points in 20 games; Rasmus Dahlin has 21 points in 24 games; and Jack Quinn comes in third place with six points in 12 games. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Dahlin was injured in Sunday's game and didn't make the trip to Montreal.
Beware, the game starts at 6:30 PM, and you can catch it in French on RDS 2 and in English on TSN 2. It will be the first of four duels between the two sides this season. The Canadiens have won six of their last 10 games against the visitors and will no doubt hope to improve that record. Jake Brenk and Pierre Lambert will be the officials on the night while Ryan Daisy and Tommy Hughes will be the linesmen.
